Nutrition & Health

“Those who think they have no time for healthy eating, will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” 

Living healthy starts in the kitchen.  As much as exercise plays a role, without proper nutrition, we would not have the fuel necessary to perform these movements.  Food is one of the three essential human needs as without it, life could not be sustained.  Therefore it is important for the youth as well as adults to understand which foods to eat, which ones to avoid, and how many portions to eat.  Let’s take a look at Canada’s Food Guide:

As it can be seen, Fruits and Vegetables should consist the majority of one’s diet.  Next, Grain Products should also be regularly implemented throughout the day.  On the contrary, Milk and Alternatives should be used sparingly as well as Meat and Alternatives.  In regards to Fruits and Vegetables and even Grain products, the majority of Canadians do not get the reccomended amount for their age and gender.  Unfortunately, at the other end of the spectrum, Canadians tend to injest way too much Milk and Alternatives and Meat and Alternatives products, which is just as detrimental as eating too little of any one food group.

Macronutrients:

Carbohydrates                                             Fat                                                                     Protein 

Micronutrients: 

Vitamins: Vitamin A Vitamin B-1 (Thiamin) Vitamin B-2 (Riboflavin) Vitamin B-3 (Niacin) Vitamin B-5 (Pantothenic Acid) Vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine) Vitamin B-12 (Cyanocobalamin) Biotin Folate Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K

Minerals : Calcium Chloride Chromium Copper Fluoride Iodine Iron Magnesium Manganese Molybdenum Phosphorus Potassium Selenium Sodium Zinc

Reading labels is also another lifelong skill that some Canadians simply do not possess.  Knowing what is in your food and in what amounts is vital to one’s health and well-being.  Here’s an example of a label and what to look at:

There are 6 essential elements to any label in which Canadians must learn to decipher:

1.  All the nutrients on the label pertain to one serving of that food item.  It is important to figure out just how many servings you are eating and adjust accordingly.
2. The number of servings you consume determines the number of calories you actually consume.
3. Eating too much fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol or sodium may increase your risk for certain chronic diseases.
4. The nutrients identified in blue should be consumed in enough amounts to improve and maintain health and reduce the risk for some diseases
   and conditions.
5. As indicated, The footnote tells that the %DV for the nutrients listed on the food label are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. This statement does not change from product to product; it is always the same.
6. The Percent Daily Value (%DV) helps to determine if a serving of food is high or low in a nutrient.  Generally, a 5% DV is considered low and a 20% or more is high.

 

Additionally, here’s a nutrition infographic via ThePhysicalEducator: Pacman